ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Anarchism in Italy

Alright kiddo, let me tell you a little bit about anarchism in Italy.

Anarchism is an idea that says people should be able to live without any government telling them what to do. That means no kings or queens, no presidents, no politicians - just people living their lives and making their own decisions.

In Italy, anarchism became really popular in the late 1800s and early 1900s. People were getting fed up with the government and all the rich people who seemed to be in charge of everything. Anarchists wanted to build a different kind of society, where everyone was equal and everyone could have a say in how things worked.

Anarchists in Italy formed groups called "affinity groups." These were small groups of friends who shared the same ideas and wanted to work together to make their vision of a better world a reality. They would organize protests and strikes, and sometimes they would even use violence to try to make their point. But they also believed in things like mutual aid, which means helping each other out without expecting anything in return.

One of the most famous Italian anarchists was a man named Errico Malatesta. He believed that anarchists should work with other left-wing groups, like socialists and communists, to overthrow the government. He thought that once the government was gone, people would be able to create a new society based on cooperation and mutual aid.

Anarchism in Italy has had its ups and downs over the years. Sometimes it was really successful, like during the Spanish Civil War in the 1930s, when anarchists played a big role in fighting against fascism. But other times, the government cracked down on anarchists and sent them to jail or even executed them.

Today, there are still anarchists in Italy and around the world who believe in the same ideals. They are working to build a better world, one without oppression or inequality.